Pool A - New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia

[Ali TT]

I'm seeing chest contact and then the French 9 head butting the Italian shoulder, and if this was a try to win a knockout round with the team being penalised wearing a different colour jersey, I don't think that's even a penalty.

Couldn't work it out. Was the clear out itself a penalty (looked like it came from the side) or penalised for being dangerous (but incidentally so)?

 

[ripper868]

Couldn't work it out. Was the clear out itself a penalty (looked like it came from the side) or penalised for being dangerous (but incidentally so)?

The penalty was for the apparent head contact, which the ref in middle was going to give a yellow for, but was talked down by the assistant refs and the tmo - tbh I don't think any angle showed clear head contact, and there was nought wrong with the clean out either as the 9 was looking to compete at the ruck imo.

So, the penalty was given for head contact, but mitigated down to penalty only, despite the lack of clear evidence of actual head contact.

I could of course be wrong

 

[Furball]

Is it just me or from a scrum close to the posts would it not be incredibly easy to set up a drop goal attempt if the game situation called for it?

 

[ripper868]

with the 5m back rule etc now, yep[, be vey easy to sit the 10/15 in the pocket on the 22 and plop one over.

 

[ripper868]

I Ramos 8/8 from the boot with conversions (and the 1 pen) so far? Some haven't been the easiest of nudges either.

 

[Furball]

Fair ****s to Italy, would be easy to go in a huff and allow France to stick on 3 tries in the last 10 but that's a really good try.

 

[Furball]

France are good fun. I wouldn't fancy trying to stop them winning the whole thing.

 

[Tom Flint]

Has there been a wc before with 4 teams as good as the top 4 in this one?

 

[ripper868]

91 and 99 were the 2 best tournaments and the hardest to win

 

[BoyBrumby]

91 and 99 were the 2 best tournaments and the hardest to win

More than a grain of truth in that, actually.

England in 91 were coming off a Grand Slam and would repeat it the following year, Scots had one of their own in 1990, NZ held the Bledisloe and were reigning world champs.

& NZ in 99 were considered shoo ins before the tournament too, had a literal ATG in practically every position.

 

[Ali TT]

Probably what stands out is just how far those top 4 teams are from the others. They play at such a high intensity but also immaculate, mistake free rugby (and when they do make mistakes it's from the pressure of their opponents) in contrast to the unforced errors the teams in Pools C and D make time and time again.

I think in prior tournaments there's been less of a drop off from 2-6 say.

 

[Molehill]

I think in prior tournaments there's been less of a drop off from 2-6 say.

2015 was a really poor tournament. NZ were so much better than anyone else, and there was a big drop off after SA and Aus too (even though Scotland ran them close). Europe was a bit of a mess.

I still have a feeling that whichever 2 teams make it to the semis from Pools C and D will be more competitive than we think.

 

[Ali TT]

2015 was a really poor tournament. NZ were so much better than anyone else, and there was a big drop off after SA and Aus too (even though Scotland ran them close). Europe was a bit of a mess.

I still have a feeling that whichever 2 teams make it to the semis from Pools C and D will be more competitive than we think.

Wales maybe - Gatland has finally coached them into a complement side. England are terrible are terribly coached. Fiji only just beat the Aussies so can't imagine they'd give one of the big 4 a challenge.

 

[Uppercut]

World Cup semis are just almost always tight games, even when there’s a big gap in quality.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Has there been a wc before with 4 teams as good as the top 4 in this one?

95
NZ
SA
France
England/Australia

 

[Tom Flint]

I can't really have an opinion before 2003 as I was too young before. I do remember aus having Michael lynagh the sarries player who was fantastic. Also gregan for some reason was always my favourite ever player

 

[Tom Flint]

Looking back at the England players 95 I don't see them back near any of these 4 sides but its an unfair comparison as the game was only just turning pro then. Also I was only 6 so can't comment!

 

[Ali TT]

2003 England were the strongest side, think they'd beaten everyone in the previous year including Australia and NZ away. However, NZ, Australia, SA and France were all good sides but with obvious flaws.

2011 was odd. NZ massive favourites but got progressively worse as the tournament wore on and the years of failure started to weigh down on them. Everyone else misfired. Wales should've got to the final but France, who barely scraped into the QFs, ground their way though, thanks to playing a pissed up England and then Warburton's red.

 

[Ali TT]

Looking back at the England players 95 I don't see them back near any of these 4 sides but its an unfair comparison as the game was only just turning pro then. Also I was only 6 so can't comment!

That was a good England side - the QF win over Australia a classic match. There wasn't any shame in getting literally run over by Lomu.

 

[_Ed_]

2011 was odd. NZ massive favourites but got progressively worse as the tournament wore on and the years of failure started to weigh down on them.

Tournament-ending injuries to four first-fives (Carter, Slade, Cruden, Weepu) didn't help!